A Canadian Job Offer is a letter a candidate receives from a Canadian employer. You will need a job offer if you want to apply for/under:
- A work permit
- Express Entry program
Having a CREDIBLE Canadian job offer from an approved employer increases your CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score if you want to enter Canada by submitting an application under the express entry program.
What must be included in the job offer letter?
A Canadian job offer letter from an approved Canadian employer must contain the following information:
- Employer’s name and address
- Supervisor’s job title
- Company name
- Employee’s name
- Employee’s job title
- Job description
- Desired starting date
- Salary
- Employment details (work hours, …)
- Benefits
Job Offer rules and regulations
There are specific rules and regulations in place regarding a Canadian job offer that needs to be followed:
- An employer must first consider Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada for the job. Citizens and permanent residents of Canada have priority over foreign workers.
- An ad for the vacancy must run for four consecutive weeks.
- The vacancy ad must appear on three different platforms for high-paying positions.
- The vacancy must remain posted on five different platforms for low-paying positions.
- If no suitable Canadian candidates were hired after four weeks, the employer must file for an LMIA at Employment and Social Development Canada in order to employ a foreign worker. In other words, the employer must prove to Employment and Social Development Canada that hiring a foreign workforce will have no negative impact on the labor market. A positive LMIA will demonstrate the need for a foreign worker.
- An employer may apply for an LMIA as early as 6 months before the intended start date of the position as an LMIA is valid for six months.
- The intended salary for the job opening cannot be lower than the market standard.
- A foreign worker cannot apply for an LMIA himself as it can only be applied for by an employer.
What is a valid job offer?
A job offer must be valid and credible under IRCC rules. According to IRCC, it is not possible to apply for a work permit with an illegal or invalid job offer. Additionally, an unusable job offer will not score you any CRS points. A valid job offer is a job offer that:
- Offers a full-time job
- Is NOT seasonal
- Offers at least a one-year contract
- Is accompanied by a positive LMIA, or
- Is LMIA-exempt
LMIA-Exempt job offers
A job offer can be exempt from an LMIA under:
- An international agreement like CUSMA or GATS and non-trade agreements
- A federal-provincial agreement
- The “Canadian interests” category
Which employers cannot issue a job offer?
- Embassies and high commissions in Canada, or
- An employer that is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions (exact IRCC test), or
- A newly established business, or
- An employer who is hiring in Quebec
Job offer process
The process of obtaining a job offer letter consists of the following steps:
1.Finding a Job: the first thing you need to do is to find a job in Canada. Here are some tips for finding a job in Canada:
- Write a professional resume and cover letter according to the Canadian resume-writing style.
2.Register on hiring platforms:
- Create a profile on hiring platforms and describe your professional experience in your profile.
- LinkedIn is a well-known professional social media platform designed solely to connect employers to their desired workforce. It also allows employees to showcase their previous experiences and talents.
- There are also useful websites that can help you find a suitable job. “Indeed” and “Zip Recruiter” are two of them.
3.Check available vacancies and look for a job that fits your education and experience.
4.Keep in mind that not all job vacancies are filled using hiring platforms. Lots of positions are filled up by connections and recommendations. If you have a friend in Canada, asking him to recommend you for a vacancy can be a good idea.
5.After finding a suitable job that matches your interests and being accepted for it, your employer will send you a job offer letter.
After receiving a job offer letter (which is your hiring contract) from your employer, he must also send you a positive LMIA. If your job is not LMIA-exempt your employer must apply for one and send it to you along with your job offer letter.
Required documents for a job offer
Applying for a job requires some documentation and certificates. You must convince the employer that you are the best candidate for the position. To achieve this, you might need to prove your competence and eligibility using your supportive documents. Not all employers request the same documents but you should be prepared to present the following documents:
- Resume: you should prepare a professional resume that contains information regarding your previous experiences, education, and skills. If you have completed a project related to your work field, including the details of your project can help your resume. Also, if you are familiar with related software, it is worth putting them on your CV (Curriculum Vitae). If you are a member of a professional association, you can put the details of the association and your membership on your resume.
- Recommendation letter from a previous employer: a Canadian employer might ask for a reference letter from your previous employer to validate the information on your resume.
- Documentation related to your business, if you own one.
- Portfolio (work samples)
- Academic certificates and transcripts
A Canadian employer might also ask you to do an interview. You must prepare in advance put on proper formal attire, and ready your answers.
Canadian work permit
A Canadian work permit is a temporary work visa that can be applied for by having a valid job offer from an approved Canadian employer. A holder of a work permit can enter Canada and work for an employer for a specific period stated on his work permit.
One of the benefits of a Canadian work permit and working for an approved Canadian employer is that you can apply for a permanent residency in the future.
Required documents for a Canadian work permit
To apply for a work permit you are going to need the following documents:
- A digital scan of your passport (all pages)
- Two photographs (35 mm * 45mm)
- A digital scan of your marriage certificate [if applicable]
- Police clearance certificate
- A valid job offer letter
- A positive LMIA
- CV & cover letter
- CAQ [if applicable]
- Language proficiency certificate
- Proof of previous employment
- If you own a business:
- Permits related to your business
- Documents regarding the registration of your business
- Company exposition
- Tax documents
- Financial documents
- Bank statement related to the company account for the past 6 months
- Supporting documents:
- Academic certificates and transcripts
- Reference letter from previous employers/professors
- Other related certificates
- Educational credential assessment
- Biometrics information
- Medical exam results [if applicable]
Language proficiency certificate
You might not be required to provide a language proficiency certificate. However, having a language proficiency certificate can increase your chance of getting a work permit. According to IRCC rules and regulations:
[sv slug=”alert”]An officer shall not issue a work permit to a foreign national if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the foreign national is unable to perform the work sought.[sv slug=”alert1″]
Therefore, you must convince the officer that you can undertake your job responsibilities. Having a language proficiency certificate is one of the documents that can help you achieve this.
How to prove your language proficiency?
Since IRCC rarely conducts interviews, the only way you can prove your language proficiency is by taking a standardized English/French test. IELTS and TOEFL are two of the most popular English tests.
Proper financial status for a work permit
You must prove that you have the financial resources available to you in order to cover yourself and any accompanying family member for one year while you are in Canada. To achieve this, you can present a bank statement about your account for the past 4 months. The necessary available amount in your account depends on various factors, but the officer uses the LICO (low-income cut-off) table. The LICO table is as follows:
| Family members | 12 Months | 6 Months |
| 1 person | CA$27,586 | CA$13,794 |
| 2 people | CA$34,346 | CA$17,173 |
| 3 people | CA$42,224 | CA$21,112 |
| 4 people | CA$51,267 | CA$25,633 |
| 5 people | CA$58,145 | CA$29,072 |
| 6 people | CA$65,578 | CA$32,789 |
| 7 people | CA$73,011 | CA$36,506 |
| More than 7 people in the family (for each additional family member) | CA$7,433 | CA$3,717 |
Canadian work permit cost
There are multiple fees and expenses associated with a Canadian work permit process. In your job requires an LMIA, its associated costs are paid by your employers. Otherwise, the employer must only pay for the Employer Compliance Fee.
| Process | Cost |
| Work permit | CA$155 per person |
| Biometrics | CA$85 per person |
| LMIA | CA$1,000 |
| Employer Compliance Fee | CA$230 |
Canadian work permit process
- Step One: Receive a job offer letter from an approved Canadian employer
- Step Two: obtain a positive LMIA
- Step Three: extension of your job offer by your employer
- Step Four: create and submit an online application for a work permit
- Step Five: give your biometric information
- Step Six: receive your work permit
